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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 116 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: board · saw · shower · lie · cap · hide · mark · court

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. board — a committee
  3. shower — rain
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. court — of a king
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cap — of ice
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lie — to recline
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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