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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spell — magic
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. swing — to play on
  14. board — to get on
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. spell — a short time
  20. root — the cause
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. spell — letters
  24. lie — an untruth

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