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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mark — a trace
  8. branch — a division
  9. face — part of the head
  10. row — to paddle
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. row — a line
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. board — to get on
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. board — a committee
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. mark — a grade
  24. court — of law

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