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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. shower — to wash
  3. snap — to click
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. face — part of the head
  7. board — to get on
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fine — all right
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. board — a committee
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fine — high quality
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. clip — for paper
  23. shower — rain
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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