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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · face · firm · bound · hide · rule

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rule — a law
  7. firm — a company
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. firm — steady
  13. bound — certain
  14. rule — government
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — tied together
  17. firm — decided
  18. face — to confront

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