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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: mouse · fall · board · object · net · chip · face · rest

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. net — after costs
  5. face — to confront
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. board — to get on
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chip — for betting
  15. net — for catching
  16. fall — to drop
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rest — a break
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — in sport
  24. object — a thing

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