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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: key · firm · band · fall · face · rest · board · prune

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fall — to drop
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — the most important part
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. firm — steady
  13. fall — the season
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rest — a break
  16. key — for a lock
  17. face — to confront
  18. firm — a company
  19. key — in music
  20. face — part of the head
  21. prune — to trim
  22. firm — decided
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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