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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. hand — help
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. present — a gift
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. board — a committee
  10. rest — a break
  11. present — the time now
  12. board — to get on
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rest — what's left
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. present — there
  24. season — in sport

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