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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. root — of a word
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rule — a law
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — to get on
  13. rule — government
  14. root — of a plant
  15. face — to confront
  16. root — the cause
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spell — letters
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spell — magic

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