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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. clip — a video
  7. face — part of the head
  8. staff — employees
  9. clip — for paper
  10. suit — clothes
  11. staff — a stick
  12. suit — in cards
  13. board — a committee
  14. suit — to fit
  15. clip — to cut
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. face — to confront
  18. tube — a container
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. tube — the underground
  22. staff — employees
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. board — to get on

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