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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. roll — a list
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lie — to recline
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mark — a trace
  12. swing — in golf
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — a division
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mark — a grade
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. swing — music
  24. roll — a cake

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