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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rash — a series
  5. game — wild animals
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cap — a hat
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. snap — to click
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rash — hasty
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — a match
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — a committee

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