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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. foot — a measure
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cap — a lid
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mine — for digging
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lie — to recline
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cap — a hat
  23. trunk — of a car
  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