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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cell — in biology
  3. board — a committee
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. row — to paddle
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cell — a phone
  14. dip — to sink
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. row — a line
  17. board — to get on
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lie — to recline
  21. hand — in cards
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cell — in a prison

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