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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. chest — of your body
  3. board — a committee
  4. mark — a trace
  5. present — a gift
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. face — part of the head
  8. present — there
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chest — a box
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — to get on
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stem — to come from
  18. face — to confront
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chest — of your body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. safe — out of danger

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