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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bass — low music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bass — the fish
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. face — part of the head
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. face — to confront
  24. lie — to recline

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