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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. board — a committee
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. face — to confront
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. face — part of the head
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. face — to point toward
  19. spell — magic
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — letters
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. tear — to rip
  24. dip — to sink

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