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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. date — the fruit
  10. board — to get on
  11. craft — boats
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fine — high quality
  16. board — a committee
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stand — on your feet

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