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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. board — to get on
  3. net — for catching
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chest — of your body
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. tear — to rip
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. chest — of your body
  10. net — in sport
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — after costs
  14. mate — a friend
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. toast — bread
  22. board — a committee
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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