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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ground — the earth
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bound — certain
  5. face — to confront
  6. board — to get on
  7. pop — soda
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bound — obliged
  13. face — to point toward
  14. board — a committee
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ground — crushed
  20. tube — a container
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ground — a position
  24. pop — music

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