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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. face — to confront
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rash — a series
  10. spell — letters
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rule — government
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rule — a law
  23. wake — a trail
  24. hand — help

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