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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — a division
  8. board — to get on
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. last — to go on
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. season — of the year
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — final
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — finally
  23. season — in sport
  24. board — a committee

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