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

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — to get on
  6. face — to point toward
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. face — part of the head
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ball — a dance
  13. land — a country
  14. board — a committee
  15. land — ground
  16. face — to confront
  17. land — to come down
  18. board — a flat piece

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