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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bound — certain
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bound — tied together
  7. face — to confront
  8. staff — employees
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bound — obliged
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. branch — a division
  16. perch — the fish
  17. staff — employees
  18. board — a committee
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — to get on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — part of the head

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