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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 120 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
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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: march · lie · board · mate · staff · racket · spell · straw

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spell — a short time
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. march — music
  8. staff — employees
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lie — to recline
  11. staff — a stick
  12. board — a committee
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spell — magic
  16. staff — employees
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — a friend
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. spell — letters
  23. board — to get on
  24. march — the month

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