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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. board — to get on
  4. root — the cause
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. march — the month
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — a committee
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lie — to recline
  16. march — music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — a partner
  20. root — of a word
  21. mate — to breed
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wave — with your hand

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