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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. band — a music group
  3. board — a committee
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. firm — decided
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. firm — steady
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — of your body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. band — a ring
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — a box
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. firm — a company
  18. row — a line
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. board — to get on

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