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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 120 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: arm · board · hide · bay · perch · tube · lie · pit

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lie — to recline
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pit — in a race
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tube — the underground
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tube — a container
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pit — a hole
  23. board — to get on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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