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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. board — a committee
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. band — a music group
  7. vault — a safe
  8. land — a country
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. bore — to drill
  15. face — to point toward
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hand — help
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. face — to confront
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bore — to tire
  22. board — to get on
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. band — a ring

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