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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. pass — a permit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. capital — a city
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rule — government
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. capital — money
  21. game — a match
  22. mug — a face
  23. game — wild animals
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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