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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. band — a ring
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cell — in biology
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. band — a music group
  21. field — farmland
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. board — a committee

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