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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a great time
  6. club — for dancing
  7. board — to get on
  8. clip — a video
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. face — to point toward
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — a committee
  17. club — for golf
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lie — to recline
  23. clip — for paper
  24. face — to confront

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