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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cap — a hat
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — government
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mug — a face
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mug — a cup
  24. ball — a dance

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