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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. present — the time now
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. drill — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. drill — army training
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — there
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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