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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mug — a face
  6. board — a committee
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kid — child
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. board — to get on
  15. mate — a friend
  16. face — to confront
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mate — to breed
  21. kid — to tease
  22. face — part of the head
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mug — to rob

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