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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: face · snap · chair · net · bowl · toast · bank · board

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. snap — to click
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a committee
  10. net — in sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. toast — bread
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — to confront
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — to point toward
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. net — for catching
  23. face — part of the head
  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