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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. face — part of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cap — a lid
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chest — of your body
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. face — to confront
  9. bass — low music
  10. board — a committee
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. spell — magic
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cap — a hat
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spell — letters
  18. chest — a box
  19. cap — of ice
  20. face — to point toward
  21. deal — to handle
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. board — to get on
  24. temple — side of the head

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