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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. board — a committee
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rest — a break
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. shower — rain
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rule — government

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