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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. board — a flat piece
  3. degree — temperature
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. firm — steady
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — to bear
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mug — a face
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — to get on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. firm — decided
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. firm — a company
  21. mug — to rob
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stand — on your feet
  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