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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: face · stick · bay · wake · pit · rule · ground · coach

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rule — a law
  12. pit — a hole
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ground — crushed
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ground — a position
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. face — to confront
  22. rule — government
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bay — a horse colour

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