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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. face — to point toward
  6. staff — employees
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. mark — a trace
  11. board — a committee
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. face — to confront
  15. toast — bread
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lie — to recline
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. board — to get on
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — part of the head

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