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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. face — part of the head
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. drill — army training
  5. track — a path
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. board — to get on
  8. ball — a dance
  9. face — to confront
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. drill — a practice
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. drill — the tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. ball — a great time
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ball — a round shape

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