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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. face — part of the head
  3. net — for catching
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. net — after costs
  6. face — to confront
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. board — a committee
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. net — in sport
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. face — to point toward
  17. prune — to trim
  18. board — to get on
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chair — a leader
  23. prune — to trim
  24. plane — a tool

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