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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — finally
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. last — final
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lie — to recline
  12. season — in sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. season — of the year
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fall — the season
  21. bark — to shout
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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