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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mark — a trace
  4. file — a line of people
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bank — for money
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rock — a stone
  10. board — to get on
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rock — music
  13. craft — boats
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mark — a grade
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. face — to confront
  19. bank — for money
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. file — a document

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