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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cue — a hint
  5. land — to come down
  6. tear — from crying
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cue — a signal
  9. board — a committee
  10. bound — certain
  11. land — a country
  12. drill — army training
  13. tear — to rip
  14. cue — for pool
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bound — obliged
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. face — to confront
  20. drill — a practice
  21. land — ground
  22. face — to point toward
  23. drill — the tool
  24. board — to get on

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