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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lie — to recline
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. snap — to click
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. race — a contest
  17. mate — a partner
  18. race — humankind
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. race — the arms race

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