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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. dip — to sink
  3. face — to confront
  4. fine — all right
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. board — a committee
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. present — there
  19. face — to point toward
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. drill — a practice
  24. snap — to click

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