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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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. board — a committee
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. season — in sport
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. season — of the year
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. deal — to handle
  17. board — to get on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wind — moving air
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. lie — to recline
  24. board — a flat piece

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