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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. last — final
  4. board — to get on
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. board — a committee
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. last — to go on
  16. pop — music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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