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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. board — to get on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. field — for sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lie — to recline
  12. field — a subject
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. band — a ring
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. field — farmland
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. band — a music group

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