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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. board — a committee
  3. field — farmland
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. field — a subject
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. board — to get on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — for sport

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