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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. face — part of the head
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. board — a committee
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cold — an illness
  16. board — to get on
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. face — to point toward
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cold — not warm

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