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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lie — to recline
  3. board — a committee
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stock — shares
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — goods
  17. board — to get on
  18. chest — a box
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. face — to confront

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