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

Word bank: ruler · lie · board · cell · land · club · leaves · key

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. land — ground
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. club — for golf
  9. key — in music
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. land — to come down
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. club — for dancing
  16. land — a country
  17. cell — in biology
  18. club — a group
  19. board — a committee
  20. cell — a phone
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. board — to get on
  24. cell — in a prison

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