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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: staff · hide · board · wave · rest · mouse · file · lie

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — a break
  18. staff — employees
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. file — a document
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a tool
  24. hide — animal skin

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