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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: cold · deal · hide · current · board · cap · lie · spell

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — to get on
  4. current — happening now
  5. board — a committee
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cold — not warm
  10. current — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cap — of ice
  15. current — electric
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. spell — magic
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cold — an illness
  23. spell — letters
  24. deal — an agreement

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