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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. net — in sport
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stand — to bear
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. net — for catching
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. net — after costs
  22. cue — a signal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. board — to get on

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