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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ball — a great time
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wake — a trail
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rash — hasty
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chip — for betting
  18. board — to get on
  19. swing — music
  20. board — a committee
  21. rash — a series
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. deal — a big deal

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