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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cue — a hint
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ground — the earth
  11. board — a committee
  12. object — a thing
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ground — a position
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cue — a signal
  23. board — to get on
  24. squash — the sport

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