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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. board — to get on
  3. suit — in cards
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mate — a partner
  6. plane — a tool
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. face — part of the head
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pop — soda
  11. suit — to fit
  12. board — a committee
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pop — to visit
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pop — music
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. suit — clothes

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