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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fine — high quality
  3. net — after costs
  4. spring — of water
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spring — a coil
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to confront
  10. snap — to click
  11. face — part of the head
  12. net — in sport
  13. fine — all right
  14. face — to point toward
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. spring — the season
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. board — a committee

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