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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: mate · board · root · hide · charge · wave · lie · chest

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mate — a partner
  6. board — to get on
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lie — to recline
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. root — of a word
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. charge — electricity
  13. root — the cause
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — in control
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — of a plant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chest — of your body
  23. charge — a price
  24. chest — a box

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