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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — the tool
  5. last — finally
  6. mug — a face
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fall — the season
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. tube — a container
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — to confront
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. last — final
  18. rule — government
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. last — to go on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mug — a cup
  24. saw — the tool

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