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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stand — to bear
  3. shower — to wash
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. face — part of the head
  15. can — a tin
  16. squash — to crush
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — a law
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. toast — bread
  22. squash — the sport
  23. net — in sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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