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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. face — to confront
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. board — to get on
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. spell — letters
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stand — to bear
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stem — to come from
  16. spell — magic
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spell — a short time
  21. face — part of the head
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. board — a committee

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