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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: mate · bat · march · bear · hide · mark · board · lie

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. march — the month
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bat — the animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — the animal

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