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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. race — humankind
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitch — completely
  8. key — for a lock
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. key — the most important part
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. board — to get on
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. race — a contest
  22. face — part of the head
  23. key — in music
  24. board — a committee

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