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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — to get on
  6. kid — child
  7. face — part of the head
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. board — a committee
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. charge — a price
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bark — to shout
  22. charge — in control
  23. scale — in music
  24. charge — electricity

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