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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cell — a phone
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. board — a committee
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. drill — the tool
  10. capital — money
  11. board — to get on
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cell — in biology
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. drill — army training
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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