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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. board — a committee
  5. face — to confront
  6. lie — to recline
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ball — a dance
  9. band — a music group
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. board — to get on
  15. ball — a great time
  16. staff — a stick
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cue — a signal
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cue — for pool

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