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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. board — a committee
  4. pop — soda
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pop — to visit
  7. face — to confront
  8. bear — the animal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rash — a series
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — music
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rash — hasty
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bear — the animal
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. face — part of the head
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. file — a line of people

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