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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. spell — letters
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. face — part of the head
  5. board — a committee
  6. spell — magic
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. tear — to rip
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. tear — from crying
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. face — to confront
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. stand — to bear
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tear — from crying
  24. charge — a price

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