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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. degree — temperature
  4. land — to come down
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — a stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — to get on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — a country
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lie — to recline
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — music
  22. fall — the season
  23. land — ground
  24. staff — employees

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