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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. board — to get on
  6. object — to protest
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. object — a thing
  10. content — happy
  11. mark — a trace
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. content — the amount
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mark — a grade
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. dip — to sink
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. object — an aim
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mark — to pay attention

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