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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spell — magic
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. content — happy
  9. spell — letters
  10. content — the amount
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bark — to shout
  14. spell — a short time
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lean — thin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. board — to get on
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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