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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. face — to confront
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. key — in music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rash — hasty
  9. face — part of the head
  10. firm — decided
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. face — to point toward
  15. hand — help
  16. board — a committee
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. march — music
  20. rest — a break
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — to get on
  24. march — the month

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