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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. game — a match
  4. board — to get on
  5. cell — in biology
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. firm — steady
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. board — a committee
  20. cell — a phone
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lie — to recline
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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