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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: face · net · board · spell · capital · cabinet · bound · rush

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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. rush — a thrill
  4. bound — certain
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bound — tied together
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. capital — money
  10. board — to get on
  11. spell — magic
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bound — obliged
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. capital — a city
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. face — to confront
  23. net — for catching
  24. rush — to hurry

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