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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: stick · saw · mate · lie · court · swing · rest · board

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. court — of law
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rest — a break
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. court — for sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. swing — to play on
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — of a king
  20. swing — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. board — a committee
  24. mate — to breed

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