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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · cold · deal · lie · date · board · track · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. board — a committee
  4. cold — not warm
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cold — an illness
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. track — a path
  12. board — to get on
  13. lie — to recline
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. can — a tin
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. track — a song
  19. date — the fruit
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. can — to be able to
  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