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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 116 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. court — of law
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. court — of a king
  12. bound — certain
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ball — a great time
  16. court — for sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. snap — to click
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — obliged

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