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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mark — a trace
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — to get on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. tear — to rip
  19. kid — child
  20. pit — a hole
  21. kid — to tease
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tear — from crying

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