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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rule — a law
  4. face — to confront
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rule — government
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cap — a lid
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to click
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cap — a hat
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. face — part of the head
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. date — the fruit
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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