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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mine — for digging
  3. face — to confront
  4. suit — in cards
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. toast — bread
  9. face — part of the head
  10. shower — to wash
  11. face — to point toward
  12. shower — rain
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. track — a path
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. track — a song
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. suit — to fit
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mine — an explosive

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