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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · rash · rock · snap · rule · mine · ball · mate

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — a friend
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mate — to breed
  11. face — to confront
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rock — a stone
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rock — music
  17. rule — government
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. snap — to click
  20. rule — a law
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rock — to move gently

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