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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 · ball · swing · stick · can · bound · fan · board

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. board — to get on
  3. can — to be able to
  4. face — to confront
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ball — a great time
  7. board — a committee
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ball — a dance
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bound — certain
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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