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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. board — a committee
  3. root — the cause
  4. face — part of the head
  5. net — for catching
  6. chest — a box
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mug — a cup
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — of a word
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a face
  18. board — to get on
  19. net — after costs
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chest — of your body
  23. net — in sport
  24. face — to confront

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