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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. object — to protest
  5. face — to confront
  6. object — an aim
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. board — to get on
  13. object — a thing
  14. pop — soda
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stock — shares
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. stock — goods
  24. chair — a leader

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