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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · wind · face · board · racket · cabinet

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — part of the head
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — in biology
  13. board — to get on
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cabinet — ministers

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