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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. kid — to tease
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. toast — bread
  10. roll — a list
  11. fall — to drop
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. kid — child
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fall — the season
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. face — to confront
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rush — to hurry

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