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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stock — shares
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chest — of your body
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. board — to get on
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fork — in a road
  14. face — to confront
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. board — a committee
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. hand — help
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stock — goods
  24. face — to point toward

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