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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. board — a committee
  5. staff — employees
  6. row — to paddle
  7. board — to get on
  8. staff — a stick
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. present — the time now
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. present — there
  14. lie — to recline
  15. roll — a cake
  16. staff — employees
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. row — a line
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. present — a gift
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. leaves — of a tree

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