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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a song
  9. board — a committee
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lie — to recline
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. track — a path
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — a match
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. vault — a safe
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — to get on

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