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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. bound — certain
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. land — ground
  6. rule — a law
  7. board — to get on
  8. bound — tied together
  9. land — a country
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rule — government
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. board — a committee
  16. wax — to grow
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. land — to come down
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. board — a flat piece
  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