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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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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 · board · lean · lie · charge · snap · swing · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. charge — in control
  6. lean — to bend
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rest — a break
  10. swing — music
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. swing — to play on
  14. snap — to click
  15. charge — electricity
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lean — thin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. charge — a price
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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