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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. board — to get on
  2. tear — to rip
  3. track — a path
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cap — a hat
  6. board — a committee
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. track — a song
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — a series
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cap — a lid
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rash — hasty
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cap — of ice
  20. tear — from crying
  21. face — to confront
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. arm — part of the body
  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