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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lie — to recline
  3. present — there
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. board — a committee
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bass — low music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. present — the time now
  17. tube — a container
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chip — to eat
  22. present — a gift
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chip — in a computer

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