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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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Word bank
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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: suit · lie · board · face · bound · trunk · shower · game

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. face — to confront
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bound — obliged
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lie — to recline
  8. suit — to fit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. game — wild animals
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bound — tied together
  14. game — a match
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bound — certain
  17. board — to get on
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. board — a committee
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. game — a kind of play

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