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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 116 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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. object — a thing
  6. lie — to recline
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. snap — to click
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pound — a weight
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. board — to get on
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stand — for spectators

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