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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — to eat
  13. board — a committee
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. board — to get on
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bound — certain
  20. wake — a trail
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bass — low music
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bass — the instrument

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