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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. last — finally
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fine — all right
  5. net — in sport
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. board — a committee
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. net — after costs
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. shower — rain
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fine — high quality
  15. face — to point toward
  16. net — for catching
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. board — to get on
  21. shower — to wash
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. face — to confront

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