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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. game — wild animals
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cap — a hat
  12. row — to paddle
  13. board — to get on
  14. lie — to recline
  15. row — a line
  16. game — a match
  17. fall — to drop
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fall — the season
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. board — a committee
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — a flat piece

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