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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: sharp · roll · present · board · band · jam · chest · lie

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. roll — a list
  6. chest — of your body
  7. band — a ring
  8. present — there
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. roll — a cake
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. band — a music group
  21. chest — a box
  22. present — a gift
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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