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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rule — government
  3. plane — a tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. face — to point toward
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lean — to bend
  10. face — to confront
  11. season — of the year
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lean — thin
  18. season — in sport
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. temple — side of the head

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