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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ground — crushed
  5. board — a committee
  6. scale — size or range
  7. last — finally
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. last — final
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tear — to rip
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rock — music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. board — to get on
  21. last — to go on
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. tear — from crying
  24. scale — in music

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