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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rock — music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. face — part of the head
  10. net — in sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. last — final
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. face — to confront
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. last — to go on
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cap — a lid
  23. board — a committee
  24. last — finally

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