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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. board — to get on
  3. shower — rain
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. land — ground
  8. board — a committee
  9. suit — clothes
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ground — a position
  19. court — of law
  20. land — a country
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. nail — on a finger

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