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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: object · jam · lie · mark · row · kid · toast · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. kid — to tease
  5. object — to protest
  6. board — to get on
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. object — a thing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. row — a line
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. toast — bread
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lie — to recline
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mark — a trace
  21. kid — child
  22. object — an aim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a grade

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