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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. game — a match
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. spring — of water
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lie — to recline
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — wild animals
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. present — there
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — the season
  20. sharp — clever
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. present — a gift
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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