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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: present · suit · board · wave · face · rest · club · file

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — to confront
  4. club — for dancing
  5. file — a tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. file — a document
  8. board — a committee
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rest — what's left
  11. present — a gift
  12. board — to get on
  13. club — for golf
  14. present — the time now
  15. suit — to fit
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. club — a group
  23. present — there
  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