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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. hand — help
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — in cards
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. last — to go on
  6. toast — bread
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. spell — a short time
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spell — magic
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. last — finally
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. last — final
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spell — letters
  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