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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. face — part of the head
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. face — to point toward
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chest — a box
  9. board — a committee
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. face — to confront
  20. board — to get on
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. track — a song
  23. saw — the tool
  24. track — a path

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