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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. board — to get on
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tear — to rip
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. season — of the year
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. season — in sport
  10. ball — a great time
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. row — a line
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tear — from crying
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — a grade
  22. board — a committee
  23. lie — an untruth
  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