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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. file — a tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a document
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. last — final
  8. tube — the underground
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — a committee
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lie — to recline
  17. last — to go on
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a line of people
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. last — finally

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