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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. object — a thing
  3. board — a committee
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. board — to get on
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. object — an aim
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. craft — boats
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. object — to protest
  20. land — a country
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. craft — a skill
  23. land — ground
  24. board — a flat piece

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