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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. board — a committee
  3. land — ground
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rock — a stone
  8. toast — bread
  9. wind — moving air
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rock — music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — to come down
  22. dip — to sink
  23. face — to confront
  24. land — a country

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