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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — to rob
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lie — to recline
  9. board — a committee
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — to get on
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. snap — to click
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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