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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. chest — a box
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. object — an aim
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wind — moving air
  17. object — to protest
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. object — a thing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. squash — the sport
  24. board — to get on

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