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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. band — a music group
  10. key — in music
  11. field — farmland
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rest — what's left
  16. firm — steady
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. field — a subject
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rest — a break
  23. field — for sport
  24. band — a ring

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