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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — part of the head
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. board — a committee
  9. game — a match
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — to confront
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to click
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lean — to bend
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. board — to get on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lean — thin
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. craft — boats

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