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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hand — help
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. face — to confront
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rest — a break
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. craft — a skill
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — part of the head
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. board — a committee
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. trunk — of a tree

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