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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. board — to get on
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — a city
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — army training
  11. lean — thin
  12. board — a committee
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rest — a break
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rest — what's left
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ground — a position
  23. capital — money
  24. drill — the tool

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