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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: foot · board · lie · sharp · present · hide · fall · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. foot — a measure
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. present — the time now
  11. fine — all right
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. board — to get on
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — clever
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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