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

Word bank: nail · face · wake · rule · cap · sharp · club · suit

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — to confront
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. face — to point toward
  11. club — a group
  12. rule — a law
  13. face — part of the head
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rule — government
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. suit — in cards
  24. club — for golf

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