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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lean — thin
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lean — to bend
  12. charge — a price
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chest — a box

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