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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. face — part of the head
  11. board — a committee
  12. present — there
  13. dip — to sink
  14. perch — the fish
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fine — all right
  18. face — to confront
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. saw — the tool

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