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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 116 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: staff · rash · last · face · wave · rock · board · cabinet

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rock — music
  9. rash — a series
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. face — to confront
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. face — to point toward
  19. last — final
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. board — to get on
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — of the sea

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