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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mate — to breed
  3. face — part of the head
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — a grade
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bore — to drill
  10. board — to get on
  11. face — to confront
  12. rest — what's left
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rule — a law
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rest — a break
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. board — a committee
  23. rule — government
  24. rest — what's left

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