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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. tear — to rip
  8. charge — in control
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — a committee
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. board — to get on
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pit — in a race
  19. charge — a price
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hand — help
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. tear — from crying

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