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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. board — a committee
  3. field — farmland
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. craft — a skill
  6. field — for sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. field — a subject
  14. race — humankind
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — to get on
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bat — the animal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. craft — boats

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