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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rule — a law
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rock — music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rule — government

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