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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. staff — employees
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — to get on
  11. kid — child
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. staff — employees
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. cell — a phone
  17. kid — to tease
  18. cell — in biology
  19. ground — a position
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. lie — to recline
  22. board — a committee
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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