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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. board — a committee
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — in sport
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hand — help
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. net — for catching
  11. rule — government
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. net — after costs
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wake — a trail
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rule — a law
  24. lie — an untruth

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