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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. rule — a law
  2. ground — a position
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rule — government
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. charge — in control
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ground — the earth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ground — crushed
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fine — all right
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wax — to grow
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rule — to rule out
  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