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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rule — a law
  3. face — part of the head
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. court — of law
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lie — to recline
  12. last — finally
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. board — to get on
  15. court — for sport
  16. face — to confront
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. court — of a king
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rule — government
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rule — to rule out

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