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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pit — in a race
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lean — thin
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rock — music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. face — to confront
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. spell — letters
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. board — a committee
  24. face — part of the head

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