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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. club — for golf
  8. board — to get on
  9. stock — shares
  10. club — a group
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. face — to confront
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stock — goods
  19. toast — bread
  20. board — a committee
  21. face — to point toward
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. club — for dancing

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