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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — to get on
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kid — to tease
  8. object — a thing
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. object — to protest
  13. board — a committee
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. field — for sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. field — farmland
  19. prune — to trim
  20. object — an aim
  21. lean — to bend
  22. kid — child
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. prune — to trim

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