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

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. board — a committee
  10. wound — an injury
  11. land — ground
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — to get on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. land — to come down
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lie — to recline
  18. land — a country
  19. lean — thin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wound — an injury

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