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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. file — a line of people
  3. board — to get on
  4. object — to protest
  5. mate — a friend
  6. board — a committee
  7. mate — to breed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lie — to recline
  10. charge — a price
  11. chest — of your body
  12. file — a tool
  13. chest — a box
  14. mate — a partner
  15. object — an aim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. foot — a measure
  19. file — a document
  20. object — a thing
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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