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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. board — a committee
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. club — for dancing
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — to confront
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. club — for golf
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. club — a group
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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