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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. bass — low music
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — to rip
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  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