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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. club — a group
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — a committee
  6. chest — a box
  7. track — a path
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — government
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — to get on
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chest — of your body
  16. club — for dancing
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. track — a song
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. club — for golf
  21. face — part of the head
  22. track — to keep track
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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