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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mate — to breed
  9. club — for golf
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — to get on
  14. clip — a video
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. club — a group
  17. board — a committee
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mug — a face
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bat — in an idiom

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