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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. key — for a lock
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. key — in music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — to recline
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. field — farmland
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. field — for sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. field — a subject
  20. lean — thin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. nail — for a hammer

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