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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. court — of law
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wound — an injury
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bore — to tire
  9. court — for sport
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wound — an injury
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitch — completely
  15. board — a committee
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — certain
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitch — a sports field

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