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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · mine · board · can · lie · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lie — to recline
  8. land — ground
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — a country
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. land — to come down
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — a tin

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