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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: foot · game · hand · key · band · board · lie · chair

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. band — a music group
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. board — to get on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hand — help
  12. game — a match
  13. key — the most important part
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hand — in cards
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. board — a committee
  21. key — in music
  22. game — wild animals
  23. band — a ring
  24. chair — to sit on

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