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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. suit — clothes
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ball — a great time
  7. suit — to fit
  8. charge — in control
  9. lie — to recline
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a ring
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — to get on
  21. band — a music group
  22. board — a committee
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chest — a box

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