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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. squash — to crush
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. band — a music group
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. squash — the sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. face — to confront
  11. rule — a law
  12. band — a ring
  13. rule — government
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. sharp — clever
  20. can — a tin
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. can — to be able to

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