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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: hide · lie · chest · stick · net · wound · board · object

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. board — to get on
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. object — an aim
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chest — a box
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. net — in sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. object — to protest
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. object — a thing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. board — a committee

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