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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: rest · nail · mate · rule · face · wake · calf · ground

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rest — a break
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — the earth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rule — a law
  19. face — to confront
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ground — a position

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