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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. object — an aim
  8. rash — a series
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — hasty
  19. object — a thing
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. object — to protest
  23. board — to get on
  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