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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. court — for sport
  3. snap — to click
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chest — a box
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lie — to recline
  10. court — of law
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mate — to breed
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. board — to get on
  20. mate — a partner
  21. board — a committee
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. court — of a king
  24. lie — an untruth

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