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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. wake — a trail
  10. face — to point toward
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. board — a committee
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. board — to get on
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. content — happy
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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