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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. last — finally
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. board — a committee
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. last — final
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lie — to recline
  16. dip — to sink
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fine — all right
  19. drill — army training
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. last — to go on
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. drill — the tool

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