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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rule — government
  12. drill — a practice
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. face — to confront
  17. stock — goods
  18. drill — army training
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stock — shares
  21. rule — a law
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pound — for dogs

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