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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. board — a committee
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fine — all right
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. staff — employees
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. staff — a stick
  21. board — to get on
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. staff — employees

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