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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. board — a committee
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — to get on
  11. spell — letters
  12. bear — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spell — magic
  18. game — a match
  19. toast — bread
  20. spell — a short time
  21. staff — a stick
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bear — to put up with

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