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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. board — a committee
  3. stock — shares
  4. clip — to cut
  5. object — a thing
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. object — to protest
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. clip — for paper
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. object — an aim
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. board — to get on
  24. clip — a video

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