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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
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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: dip · land · lie · cell · board · leaves · jam · net

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. board — a committee
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. net — for catching
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lie — to recline
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. board — to get on
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. land — a country
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cell — in biology
  18. land — to come down
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — after costs
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. net — in sport
  24. land — ground

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