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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. last — to go on
  3. bound — tied together
  4. last — final
  5. tear — from crying
  6. staff — employees
  7. snap — to click
  8. tear — to rip
  9. club — a group
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tear — from crying
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. bound — certain
  15. club — for golf
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. board — a committee
  18. last — finally
  19. face — to point toward
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. club — for dancing
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bound — obliged
  24. staff — employees

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