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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: hand · lie · rash · safe · board · perch · spell · cabinet

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spell — magic
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hand — help
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — a series
  14. lie — to recline
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — in cards

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