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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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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: mouse · mate · tear · lie · board · last · shower · mug

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lie — to recline
  4. board — to get on
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mug — to rob
  11. shower — rain
  12. last — final
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. board — a committee
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — a face
  24. last — to go 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