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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ball — a dance
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ball — a great time
  6. board — a committee
  7. lie — to recline
  8. foot — a measure
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — to get on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — a match
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. game — a kind of play

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