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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chest — a box
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — a committee
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — to get on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stock — shares
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stock — goods
  24. wake — before a funeral

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