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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. can — a tin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — to get on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fall — to drop
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. face — to confront
  19. fall — the season
  20. shower — rain
  21. bark — to shout
  22. shower — to wash
  23. can — to be able to
  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