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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. staff — employees
  8. cold — an illness
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. staff — employees
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — to point toward
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bank — for money
  17. staff — a stick
  18. firm — steady
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bear — the animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. face — to confront
  24. bank — of a river

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