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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. board — to get on
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pop — to visit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pop — music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. board — a committee
  16. pop — soda
  17. pit — a hole
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stock — goods
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chest — a box
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stock — shares

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