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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. row — to paddle
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ball — a great time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. row — a line
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pit — in a race
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pit — a hole
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a dance
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. board — to get on
  24. sharp — exactly

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