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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · bay · cell · rest · lie · rule

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. board — to get on
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rest — a break
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee

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