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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. face — to point toward
  3. object — an aim
  4. clip — for paper
  5. board — to get on
  6. object — a thing
  7. date — the fruit
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — to protest
  14. pop — to visit
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. cell — a phone
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cell — in biology
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. clip — a video
  24. face — to confront

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