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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: safe · lie · hide · season · rock · rest · board · field

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. board — a committee
  7. field — farmland
  8. rest — a break
  9. rock — music
  10. board — to get on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — in sport
  13. field — for sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. field — a subject
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lie — an untruth

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