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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — to get on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. face — to confront
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cold — an illness
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. board — a committee
  24. rush — 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