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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: ball · nail · ground · lie · board · tear · staff · suit

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. board — a committee
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a great time
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lie — to recline
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. staff — employees
  14. ground — a position
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. staff — a stick
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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