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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. squash — the sport
  3. present — the time now
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — a committee
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — in music
  12. current — electric
  13. mate — a friend
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. present — there
  17. mate — a partner
  18. current — happening now
  19. lie — to recline
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. current — of water
  22. present — a gift
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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