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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — to confront
  4. board — to get on
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lean — thin
  7. club — for golf
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chip — to eat
  11. club — for dancing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cell — a phone
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. club — a group
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lean — to bend

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