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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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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: lie · roll · field · bay · hand · can · charge · board

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lie — to recline
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. field — farmland
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. charge — electricity
  12. roll — a cake
  13. field — for sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — help
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — in control
  18. board — to get on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — a tin
  21. roll — a list
  22. charge — a price
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. field — a subject

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