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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. face — part of the head
  3. snap — to click
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — to recline
  6. sharp — clever
  7. board — to get on
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. board — a committee
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. face — to confront
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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