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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. object — an aim
  3. face — to confront
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lie — to recline
  12. press — a publisher
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — wild animals
  17. object — to protest
  18. press — to push
  19. object — a thing
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. face — part of the head
  24. board — a flat piece

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