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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lie — to recline
  3. kick — in football
  4. scale — in music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — to get on
  7. net — after costs
  8. scale — size or range
  9. net — for catching
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. net — in sport
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mug — a face
  15. face — part of the head
  16. board — a committee
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mug — a cup
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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