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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. last — finally
  6. spell — letters
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. dip — to sink
  10. board — to get on
  11. land — to come down
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stem — to come from
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. land — ground
  20. board — a committee
  21. land — a country
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. last — final
  24. spell — magic

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