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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rule — government
  7. pass — a permit
  8. face — to confront
  9. craft — boats
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. face — part of the head
  13. march — the month
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. craft — a skill
  21. march — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. face — to point toward

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