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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. board — to get on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mate — a friend
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mate — a partner
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spell — letters
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. dip — a sauce

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