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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 116 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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fall — to drop
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. board — a committee
  8. race — a contest
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fall — the season
  14. race — humankind
  15. board — to get on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. race — the arms race
  19. plane — a tool
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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