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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. board — a committee
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wake — a trail
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. suit — in cards
  11. face — part of the head
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. face — to confront
  15. march — music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — to get on
  24. key — in music

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