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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 120 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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rock — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. face — to confront
  5. rock — a stone
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — part of the head
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. board — a committee
  21. mark — a trace
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rock — to move gently

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