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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · face · fan · wave · board · rest · mouse · sharp

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. band — a ring
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. board — to get on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. band — a music group
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rest — a break
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. board — a committee
  24. mouse — the animal

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