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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. swing — in golf
  3. board — to get on
  4. swing — music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cap — a hat
  9. drill — army training
  10. board — a committee
  11. cap — a lid
  12. key — the most important part
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. swing — to play on
  17. court — for sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. face — part of the head
  22. drill — the tool
  23. face — to confront
  24. board — a flat piece

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