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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. tube — a container
  4. key — the most important part
  5. perch — the fish
  6. face — to confront
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. charge — in control
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — a price
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — electricity
  16. face — part of the head
  17. key — for a lock
  18. tube — the underground
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — thin
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. board — to get on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. key — in music

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