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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cold — an illness
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cold — not warm
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. board — a committee
  15. cap — of ice
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. board — to get on
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cap — a lid

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