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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. board — a committee
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rock — music
  12. rule — government
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rule — a law
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stand — to bear
  23. tube — a container
  24. game — a kind of play

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