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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. face — part of the head
  4. board — a committee
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. track — to keep track
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pop — soda
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pop — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. track — a path
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. face — to confront
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. track — a song

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