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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rest — what's left
  5. court — of a king
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — the underground
  16. court — for sport
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rule — a law
  19. face — to confront
  20. rule — government
  21. court — of law
  22. tube — a container
  23. sharp — exactly
  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