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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. face — to confront
  7. file — a tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. face — to point toward
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rule — government
  16. bound — certain
  17. rule — a law
  18. file — a document
  19. bound — obliged
  20. face — part of the head
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com