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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. firm — decided
  3. face — to confront
  4. squash — the sport
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ball — a dance
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — government
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. firm — a company
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. firm — steady
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rest — what's left
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rule — a law
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to point toward
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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