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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. board — a committee
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — to get on
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fall — the season
  14. face — to confront
  15. fall — to drop
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. staff — employees
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. capital — a city
  22. staff — employees
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stand — to bear

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