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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. board — to get on
  3. face — to confront
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — a committee
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hand — help
  9. face — part of the head
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bark — to shout
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wind — moving air
  20. scale — in music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bark — of a tree

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