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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rule — government
  4. spring — the season
  5. object — an aim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — to protest
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. net — for catching
  12. face — to confront
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rule — a law
  16. net — in sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spring — of water
  22. net — after costs
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. object — a thing

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