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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. march — the month
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pass — a permit
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. board — a committee
  13. face — to confront
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rule — a law
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rule — government
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. trunk — of a car

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