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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pass — a permit
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bore — to tire
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mark — a grade
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mark — a trace

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