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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: rule · toast · wound · bear · fork · patient · face · rock

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. 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. rule — to rule out
  2. face — part of the head
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — government
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rule — a law
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. toast — bread
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. 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