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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. net — for catching
  7. face — to confront
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. bark — to shout
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bulb — for light
  19. net — after costs
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chest — of your body

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