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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — in sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. season — of the year
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — clever
  22. row — a line
  23. lie — to recline
  24. board — a committee

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