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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — a path
  11. shower — rain
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tear — to rip
  21. track — to keep track
  22. chair — a leader
  23. track — a song
  24. tear — from crying

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