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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 124 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: saw · can · sharp · board · face · mine · rock · date

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rock — music
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mine — for digging
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rock — a stone
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. board — a committee
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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