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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. scale — in music
  8. spell — magic
  9. rule — government
  10. face — to point toward
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rule — a law
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. face — to confront
  22. scale — size or range
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bear — the animal

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