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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — help
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. board — a committee
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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