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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stock — shares
  10. row — a line
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. row — to paddle
  16. board — to get on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stock — goods
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. racket — a loud noise

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