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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: leaves · cell · kid · pitcher · object · dip · lie · board

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. board — a committee
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. object — to protest
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kid — child
  10. cell — in biology
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cell — a phone
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. board — to get on
  24. leaves — lets stay

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