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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: wound · staff · saw · mouse · board · rush · lie · cell

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. board — to get on
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a committee
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cell — in biology
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cell — a phone

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