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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. degree — temperature
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. lie — to recline
  10. degree — from a university
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cue — a hint
  13. staff — employees
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cue — a signal
  18. degree — an amount

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