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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — to get on
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. court — of law
  12. board — a committee
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lean — thin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. court — for sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ball — a dance
  23. court — of a king
  24. lean — to bend

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