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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · chip · prune · land · swing · lean · lie · board

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. chip — for betting
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lean — thin
  5. plane — a tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — ground
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. swing — music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. lean — to bend
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chip — to eat

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