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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. track — a song
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — in sport
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. face — to confront
  9. net — for catching
  10. row — a line
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. track — a path
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. net — after costs
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — of a word
  17. board — a committee
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. face — to point toward
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. track — to keep track

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