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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — to get on
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a great time
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — a permit
  22. board — a committee
  23. ball — a dance
  24. arm — part of the body

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