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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. firm — steady
  3. clip — a video
  4. firm — decided
  5. net — for catching
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. clip — for paper
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — a committee
  12. net — in sport
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. clip — to cut
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. date — the fruit
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. firm — a company
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. net — after costs

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