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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. face — to point toward
  4. board — to get on
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. board — a committee
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pit — in a race
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wake — a trail
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. game — a match
  24. fine — all right

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