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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 124 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wake — a trail
  9. spring — of water
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bound — certain
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. spring — the season
  17. bark — to shout
  18. board — to get on
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cue — for pool
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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