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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — a law
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rule — government
  11. bound — certain
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. board — a committee
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. racket — for tennis

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