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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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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wake — a trail
  8. net — in sport
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. board — to get on
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. field — for sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. net — after costs
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. board — a committee
  24. net — for catching

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