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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. board — a committee
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. field — for sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. board — to get on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bark — to shout
  24. hide — to keep secret

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