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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: spell · root · date · hide · lie · board · cell · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. row — to paddle
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. board — to get on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lie — to recline
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cell — a phone
  12. date — the fruit
  13. spell — letters
  14. board — a committee
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. root — the cause
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cell — in biology
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. root — of a word

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