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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: pound · roll · lie · board · arm · spell · chair · root

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. board — to get on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — of a plant
  5. spell — letters
  6. roll — a list
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. lie — to recline
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. spell — a short time
  22. board — a committee
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. spell — magic

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