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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. march — music
  3. board — to get on
  4. file — a line of people
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. face — part of the head
  8. perch — the fish
  9. march — the month
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. board — a committee
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — to point toward
  22. march — the month
  23. club — for golf
  24. temple — side of the head

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