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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. board — a committee
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. toast — bread
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. snap — to click
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cell — a phone
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. ground — a position
  24. toast — the most admired

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