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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. object — to protest
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. club — for golf
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. club — a group
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — to get on
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. face — to confront
  18. object — a thing
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. club — for dancing
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — a committee
  24. stand — for spectators

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