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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rule — government
  4. key — in music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. key — the most important part
  8. toast — bread
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. face — to point toward
  12. sharp — clever
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. cell — in biology
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rule — a law
  24. last — final

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