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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: march · board · lean · jam · dip · rest · face · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. march — the month
  4. board — to get on
  5. march — music
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. net — for catching
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lean — thin
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. face — to confront
  14. rest — a break
  15. march — the month
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — to sink
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. board — a committee
  23. face — to point toward
  24. net — after costs

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