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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: present · board · club · chest · leaves · hand · dip · suit

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. present — a gift
  3. suit — in cards
  4. board — to get on
  5. club — a group
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. present — the time now
  9. hand — help
  10. suit — clothes
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chest — of your body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. suit — to fit
  17. board — a committee
  18. club — for golf
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chest — of your body
  21. present — there
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chest — a box
  24. club — for dancing

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