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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. charge — in control
  3. board — to get on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — to point toward
  6. charge — a price
  7. board — a committee
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fall — the season
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fall — to drop
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lash — to lash out

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