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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. board — to get on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — a list
  12. press — to push
  13. lie — to recline
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. board — a committee
  21. band — a music group
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rest — a break

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