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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.

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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: game · bore · saw · lie · rule · race · board · sharp

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — a contest
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rule — a law
  10. board — a committee
  11. rule — government
  12. bore — to tire
  13. race — humankind
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bore — to drill
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lie — to recline
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — to get on
  24. game — a match

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