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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: bear · board · mate · lie · toast · rash · net · game

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — after costs
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rash — a series
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. board — a committee
  14. net — for catching
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mate — to breed
  20. net — in sport
  21. game — wild animals
  22. toast — bread
  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