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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a great time
  4. board — to get on
  5. face — to confront
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. band — a ring
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ball — a dance
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. last — to go on
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. face — to point toward
  18. band — a music group
  19. last — final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. board — a committee
  23. last — finally
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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