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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. face — to point toward
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. last — to go on
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lie — to recline
  13. last — finally
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rule — government
  18. last — final
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. face — to confront
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fork — a garden tool

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