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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. face — to confront
  4. rule — government
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. snap — to click
  7. band — a ring
  8. rock — a stone
  9. band — a music group
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rock — music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rule — a law
  15. dip — to sink
  16. face — to point toward
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. temple — side of the head

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