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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. board — to get on
  4. firm — decided
  5. pit — in a race
  6. firm — steady
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lean — to bend
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. land — to come down
  15. firm — a company
  16. lean — thin
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bowl — to roll

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