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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rule — government
  5. spell — magic
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spell — a short time
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. face — to confront
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — the tool

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