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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. board — a committee
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. board — to get on
  15. rock — music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bat — the animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hand — part of the body

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