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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. board — a committee
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cue — a hint
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chest — of your body
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cap — of ice
  12. present — there
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. present — the time now
  16. cue — a signal
  17. firm — a company
  18. board — to get on
  19. firm — decided
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chest — a box
  22. present — a gift
  23. firm — steady
  24. cap — a lid

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