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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. board — a committee
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. content — the amount
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rule — government
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. board — to get on
  13. rule — a law
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rash — a series
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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