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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. clip — a video
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pass — a permit
  6. net — after costs
  7. board — a committee
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. face — part of the head
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cap — a lid
  15. board — to get on
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. net — for catching
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bass — low music
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. net — in sport

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