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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. board — a committee
  8. chip — for betting
  9. present — a gift
  10. board — to get on
  11. present — there
  12. tear — to rip
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. toast — bread
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. present — the time now
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. tear — from crying

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