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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rash — a series
  4. board — a committee
  5. saw — the tool
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. board — to get on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lean — thin
  16. roll — a list
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. swing — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — a measure

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