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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rule — a law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. staff — employees
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mine — for digging
  13. saw — the tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rule — government
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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