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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. dip — to sink
  3. band — a ring
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. charge — in control
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. board — to get on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bat — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — to recline
  23. band — a music group
  24. calf — of the leg

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