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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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Word bank
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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lie — to recline
  4. present — the time now
  5. deal — to handle
  6. board — a committee
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — to get on
  14. object — to protest
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. present — there
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. present — a gift
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cell — in biology
  22. object — a thing
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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