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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. board — a committee
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — final
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — help
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. board — to get on
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. field — for sport
  19. rule — government
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rule — a law
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to click

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