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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: safe · lie · ball · board · degree · row · saw · stick

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. degree — an amount
  4. board — a committee
  5. degree — temperature
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ball — a great time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a dance
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. row — a line
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lie — to recline
  24. degree — from a university

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