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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. board — a committee
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. roll — a cake
  5. suit — clothes
  6. staff — a stick
  7. season — in sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. board — to get on
  12. staff — employees
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. roll — a list
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. suit — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. season — of the year
  21. suit — to fit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  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