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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. board — a committee
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bass — low music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lean — to bend
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. kick — in football
  21. board — to get on
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — to go away

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