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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. march — music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pass — a permit
  9. march — the month
  10. face — to confront
  11. lean — thin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lean — to bend
  14. board — a committee
  15. face — to point toward
  16. net — in sport
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. board — to get on

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