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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — finally
  4. bound — obliged
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bound — certain
  7. last — final
  8. board — to get on
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pitch — completely
  12. board — a committee
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — to go on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mate — a friend
  24. hide — to keep secret

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