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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spell — a short time
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. firm — decided
  8. season — in sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. spell — letters
  11. game — wild animals
  12. spell — magic
  13. season — of the year
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. board — to get on
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — the underground
  19. board — a committee
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — a container
  22. lie — to recline
  23. tube — in a tire
  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