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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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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: chest · bay · racket · band · saw · rash · board · lie

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rash — a series
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chest — of your body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. band — a music group
  14. board — a committee
  15. chest — of your body
  16. board — to get on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chest — a box
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lie — to recline
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rash — hasty

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