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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitch — completely
  5. board — to get on
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. ball — a dance
  13. dip — to sink
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. file — a tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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