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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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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: mate · face · rule · mouse · stick · season · scale · straw

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. scale — in music
  3. face — to confront
  4. scale — size or range
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mate — a partner
  11. season — of the year
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rule — government
  14. mate — a friend
  15. season — in sport
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mouse — the animal

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