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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. board — a committee
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. kick — in football
  10. band — a ring
  11. board — to get on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chair — a leader
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mate — a partner
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mate — to breed

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