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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. face — to confront
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mark — a grade
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ground — a position
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ground — the earth
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. club — for dancing
  18. row — a line
  19. club — for golf
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. face — to point toward
  22. club — a group
  23. board — a committee
  24. object — an aim

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