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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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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: file · bound · deal · face · board · leaves · dip · club

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. club — a group
  3. board — to get on
  4. deal — to handle
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bound — certain
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. face — part of the head
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. file — a tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bound — obliged
  16. club — for golf
  17. file — a document
  18. board — a committee
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bound — tied together
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. club — for dancing

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