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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. track — a path
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. scale — in music
  14. track — a song
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. scale — size or range
  20. track — to keep track
  21. face — to confront
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. chair — a leader

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