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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — to confront
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pop — to visit
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bore — to tire
  13. board — a committee
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bore — to drill
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pop — music
  19. board — to get on
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pop — soda
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — in cards

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