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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. board — to get on
  3. game — wild animals
  4. swing — music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hand — in cards
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. season — in sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. swing — to play on
  16. season — of the year
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. game — a match
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. temple — a place of worship

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