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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: racket · cap · lean · object · lie · board · trunk · fork

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cap — of ice
  10. object — to protest
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. object — a thing
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — to recline
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. object — an aim

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