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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. key — in music
  5. object — to protest
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. club — for golf
  9. face — to point toward
  10. key — for a lock
  11. deal — to handle
  12. object — a thing
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. club — for dancing
  15. board — a committee
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. object — an aim
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mine — for digging
  20. club — a group
  21. board — to get on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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