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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — in sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. snap — to click
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. board — to get on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. rush — hurry
  15. net — in sport
  16. face — to confront
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. face — to point toward
  22. season — of the year
  23. board — a flat piece
  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