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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. tube — a container
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. face — to confront
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. tube — the underground
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cue — for pool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. board — a committee
  24. bank — of a river

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