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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spell — a short time
  4. net — for catching
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stock — shares
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rule — a law
  9. spell — letters
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stock — goods
  12. rush — hurry
  13. net — after costs
  14. key — in music
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. key — the most important part
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. face — part of the head
  19. spell — magic
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. face — to confront
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rule — government

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