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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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. game — a kind of play
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — to come from
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — hurry
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. squash — the sport
  13. game — wild animals
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. game — a match
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. squash — to crush
  22. board — to get on
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. temple — side of the head

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