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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 must've been a ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. face — to confront
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a committee
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rule — a law
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — hurry
  17. board — to get on
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rule — government
  23. face — part of the head
  24. hide — to keep secret

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