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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: jam · stick · cold · track · face · rule · shower · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rule — a law
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cold — not warm
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rule — government
  11. cold — an illness
  12. present — there
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — a song
  19. face — to confront
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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