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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. board — a committee
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. vault — a safe
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chip — to eat
  13. board — to get on
  14. net — for catching
  15. rock — a stone
  16. net — in sport
  17. chip — for betting
  18. face — to point toward
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. net — after costs
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rock — music
  24. bay — a horse colour

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