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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: board · net · clip · track · face · key · leaves · mug

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. board — a committee
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. key — for a lock
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. net — in sport
  7. face — part of the head
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mug — a cup
  13. key — the most important part
  14. track — a song
  15. mug — to rob
  16. key — in music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. clip — a video
  21. mug — a face
  22. face — to confront
  23. track — to keep track
  24. clip — to cut

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