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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rest — a break
  3. band — a ring
  4. lie — to recline
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a music group
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. court — of law
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — of a king
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rest — what's left
  24. court — 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