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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. object — to protest
  3. board — to get on
  4. ball — a dance
  5. net — for catching
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — a committee
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. game — a match
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. net — in sport
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. object — an aim
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. object — a thing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ball — a great time
  24. net — after costs

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