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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bore — to tire
  3. track — a song
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. track — to keep track
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rule — a law
  9. board — a committee
  10. row — a line
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. firm — steady
  13. board — to get on
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. face — to confront
  16. row — to paddle
  17. firm — a company
  18. fall — the season
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rule — government
  22. fall — to drop
  23. track — a path
  24. rule — to rule out

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