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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bound — tied together
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bound — certain
  7. charge — a price
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rule — government
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rule — a law
  13. rash — a series
  14. spell — a short time
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. spell — magic
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rash — hasty
  20. spell — letters
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. charge — in control
  23. bound — obliged
  24. leaves — to go away

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