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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. last — finally
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. board — to get on
  5. bass — low music
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — to recline
  8. prune — to trim
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — there
  12. board — a committee
  13. prune — to trim
  14. last — to go on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — final
  18. present — the time now
  19. bass — the fish
  20. present — a gift
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bass — the instrument

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