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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. chest — a box
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — the earth
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. board — a committee
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chest — of your body
  13. suit — in cards
  14. lie — to recline
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rash — hasty
  17. suit — clothes
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ground — a position
  21. rash — a series
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  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