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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bass — low music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. file — a tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a line of people
  9. charge — electricity
  10. spring — the season
  11. spell — magic
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bass — the fish
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cap — a hat
  16. charge — in control
  17. board — to get on
  18. file — a document
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spell — letters
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — of water
  23. charge — a price
  24. spring — a coil

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