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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pop — soda
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. face — part of the head
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. face — to confront
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pop — music
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pop — to visit
  12. lean — thin
  13. roll — a cake
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. face — to point toward
  16. roll — a list
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — to get on
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. board — a committee

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