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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rash — hasty
  3. band — a music group
  4. board — a committee
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pit — in a race
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mine — for digging
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — a series
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. band — a ring
  18. can — a tin
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — to get on
  24. band — a rubber band

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