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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. board — to get on
  4. cue — a hint
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rest — a break
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. face — to confront
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rest — what's left
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cue — for pool
  17. board — a committee
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bound — certain
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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