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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stem — to come from
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. charge — in control
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. face — to point toward
  16. board — to get on
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. face — part of the head
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. charge — a price
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mark — a trace
  24. trunk — of a car

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