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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pop — soda
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pop — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pop — to visit
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mark — a trace

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