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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. net — after costs
  3. lean — to bend
  4. root — of a word
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — in sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. root — the cause
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lie — to recline
  12. net — for catching
  13. board — to get on
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — for dancing
  17. board — a committee
  18. club — for golf
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. root — of a plant
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wound — an injury
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. club — a group

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