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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: board · wake · rock · field · lie · bay · hide · pitcher

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. field — farmland
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. field — a subject
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wake — a trail
  14. field — for sport
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lie — to recline
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — a committee
  24. rock — music

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