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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rash — a series
  3. land — a country
  4. last — final
  5. rule — government
  6. roll — a cake
  7. suit — clothes
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rash — hasty
  10. face — part of the head
  11. land — ground
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. land — to come down
  15. suit — in cards
  16. roll — a list
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. suit — to fit
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. rule — a law
  24. face — to confront

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