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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. board — to get on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. row — a line
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fine — all right
  11. press — to push
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a committee
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — to recline
  23. spell — magic
  24. row — to paddle

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