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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. net — for catching
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — a position
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bank — for money
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cell — in biology
  15. net — in sport
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. board — a committee
  20. net — after costs
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — to get on
  24. plane — in geometry

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