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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's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cold — not warm
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cue — for pool
  6. board — a committee
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. staff — employees
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. rush — hurry
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. board — to get on
  21. lie — to recline
  22. craft — boats
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rush — to hurry

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