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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 124 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. sharp — clever
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rule — government
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rule — a law
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spell — magic

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