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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 124 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. rash — a series
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. sharp — clever
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. board — to get on
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wave — of the sea

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