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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. face — to point toward
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. firm — steady
  16. season — of the year
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. firm — decided
  20. mine — for digging
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. prune — to trim
  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