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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kid — child
  9. object — a thing
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. game — a match
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lie — to recline
  15. object — to protest
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. kid — to tease
  20. board — to get on
  21. tube — a container
  22. object — an aim
  23. content — the amount
  24. tube — the underground

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