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

Word bank: rest · wound · key · stand · lie · file · trunk · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. board — a committee
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lie — to recline
  8. key — for a lock
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rest — a break
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rest — what's left
  15. file — a document
  16. wound — an injury
  17. file — a tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rest — what's left
  24. key — in music

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