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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. board — a committee
  3. chest — a box
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tear — to rip
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rest — a break
  16. chest — of your body
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chest — of your body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. board — to get on

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