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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. drill — a practice
  5. land — to come down
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lean — to bend
  10. board — to get on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. drill — the tool
  15. current — of water
  16. land — ground
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. land — a country
  19. drill — army training
  20. current — electric
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — thin
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. lie — an untruth

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