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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. march — music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lean — to bend
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. current — of water
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — happening now
  15. field — for sport
  16. bank — of a river
  17. current — electric
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — for money
  24. temple — side of the head

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