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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. bank — for money
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pit — a hole
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bank — of a river
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bank — for money
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. face — to confront
  17. pit — in a race
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. face — to point toward

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