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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. face — to point toward
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. face — part of the head
  5. game — a match
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. key — the most important part
  10. board — a committee
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fall — to drop
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — to confront
  15. fall — the season
  16. key — in music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal

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