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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. shower — rain
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. key — in music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. board — a committee
  17. cap — a hat
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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