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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. can — a tin
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. charge — electricity
  7. present — there
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. face — to point toward
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. present — the time now
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. can — to be able to
  17. charge — in control
  18. rule — government
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. charge — a price
  21. present — a gift
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. can — a tin

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