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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cell — a phone
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. squash — the sport
  9. face — part of the head
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. face — to point toward
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — to confront
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tube — the underground

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