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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — to get on
  3. last — final
  4. chest — a box
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. last — finally
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tear — to rip
  17. board — a committee
  18. pass — a permit
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — to go on
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tear — from crying

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