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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. race — the arms race
  5. board — a committee
  6. race — humankind
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lie — to recline
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. current — of water
  14. race — a contest
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. current — happening now
  17. face — to confront
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chip — to eat
  24. current — electric

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