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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. board — a committee
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. kid — to tease
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stand — to bear
  8. kid — child
  9. lie — to recline
  10. object — an aim
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. object — a thing
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. board — to get on
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. object — to protest

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