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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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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: row · board · leaves · cue · lean · present · march · bear

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. present — a gift
  3. row — a line
  4. lean — thin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. board — a committee
  10. present — there
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. present — the time now
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. row — to paddle
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. march — music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. board — to get on

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