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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. track — a path
  4. mate — a friend
  5. track — a song
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rule — a law
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — a partner
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rule — government
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — part of the head
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rest — a break
  21. march — the month
  22. track — to keep track
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. face — to confront

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