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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — the earth
  7. content — the amount
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ground — a position
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. content — happy
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ground — crushed

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