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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.

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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: chest · board · bowl · track · spell · face · firm · suit

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. spell — letters
  3. track — to keep track
  4. face — part of the head
  5. firm — decided
  6. board — to get on
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. spell — magic
  13. firm — steady
  14. spell — a short time
  15. board — a committee
  16. face — to point toward
  17. firm — a company
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. suit — in cards
  22. face — to confront
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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