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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 116 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. band — a ring
  3. last — finally
  4. board — to get on
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. last — to go on
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. track — a song
  11. lean — to bend
  12. last — final
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. board — a committee
  15. lean — thin
  16. band — a music group
  17. track — a path
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. leaves — of a tree

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