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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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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: wake · face · present · board · ground · suit · last · hand

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. present — the time now
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hand — in cards
  5. last — finally
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. present — there
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. last — to go on
  11. suit — in cards
  12. last — final
  13. board — a committee
  14. hand — help
  15. suit — to fit
  16. present — a gift
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wake — a trail
  19. face — part of the head
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. ground — the earth
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. wake — before a funeral

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