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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — electric
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. face — to point toward
  7. spring — of water
  8. board — to get on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. object — an aim
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. face — part of the head
  14. deal — to handle
  15. current — of water
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. wake — a trail
  20. spring — the season
  21. current — happening now
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. object — a thing
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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