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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. board — to get on
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bear — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. face — to confront
  9. land — to come down
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pop — music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pop — to visit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. board — a committee
  16. pop — soda
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. land — ground
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bear — the animal
  22. land — a country
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. nail — on a finger

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