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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · date · stick · lie · board · safe · tear · band

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. band — a music group
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lie — to recline
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — to get on
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. board — a committee
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. band — a ring

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