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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. board — a committee
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bound — tied together
  5. band — a ring
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. date — the fruit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bound — certain
  20. fork — in a road
  21. band — a music group
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lie — to recline

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