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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rule — government
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — in music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. dip — to sink
  13. face — to point toward
  14. last — finally
  15. face — to confront
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. last — final
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rule — a law
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — to go on
  24. lie — to recline

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