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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. kid — to tease
  5. game — wild animals
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. kid — child
  11. fall — the season
  12. can — a tin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. game — a match
  15. mine — for digging
  16. board — a committee
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fall — to drop

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