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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 124 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. current — happening now
  10. board — to get on
  11. mark — a trace
  12. current — electric
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wound — an injury
  17. current — of water
  18. mark — a grade
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lean — thin
  24. stem — of a plant

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