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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. club — for golf
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. root — of a plant
  8. club — for dancing
  9. board — a committee
  10. face — to confront
  11. board — to get on
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — of a word
  15. rest — a break
  16. pass — a permit
  17. club — a group
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rest — what's left
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. root — the cause
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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