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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rule — government
  4. root — the cause
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. root — of a word
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rule — a law
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bowl — a football final

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