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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pound — a weight
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — a law
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. charge — a price
  17. present — there
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rule — government
  21. charge — in control
  22. present — a gift
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — the time now

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