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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. present — there
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tear — from crying
  7. board — to get on
  8. present — a gift
  9. rest — a break
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — the time now
  24. bear — the animal

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