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

Word bank: bay · tear · deal · mine · board · game · bear · lie

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. game — a match
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. tear — to rip
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. board — to get on
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mine — for digging
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bear — the animal

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