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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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. march — music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. court — for sport
  12. perch — the fish
  13. march — the month
  14. staff — employees
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — of a king
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. court — of law
  22. staff — employees
  23. kid — child
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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