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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. board — a committee
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. current — electric
  12. lie — to recline
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — to get on
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. current — of water
  24. hide — to keep secret

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