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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. board — a committee
  11. rule — government
  12. lie — to recline
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rule — a law
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bound — certain
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. board — to get on
  24. lie — an untruth

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