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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. board — a committee
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. scale — size or range
  12. board — to get on
  13. current — electric
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — of water
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — to recline
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. scale — in music
  20. current — happening now
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bat — the animal
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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