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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.

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: fine · temple · trunk · lie · wake · field · row · board

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. field — a subject
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. board — a committee
  6. wake — a trail
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — to get on
  11. fine — all right
  12. field — farmland
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. field — for sport
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lie — to recline
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. board — a flat piece

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