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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. foot — a measure
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — to get on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chest — of your body
  11. date — the fruit
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chest — a box
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. foot — the bottom

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