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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. file — a line of people
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. date — the fruit
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ball — a great time
  18. file — a tool
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. board — to get on
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. file — a document
  23. stem — to come from
  24. board — a committee

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