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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. board — a committee
  3. rash — hasty
  4. present — there
  5. root — of a word
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. root — the cause
  10. craft — a skill
  11. present — a gift
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rash — a series
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. board — to get on
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. present — the time now
  23. craft — boats
  24. lie — to recline

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