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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. clip — a video
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. face — to confront
  9. clip — to cut
  10. object — to protest
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — to get on
  15. can — to be able to
  16. board — a committee
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — a series
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. object — an aim
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. object — a thing
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. board — a flat piece

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