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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.

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: lean · charge · cabinet · racket · march · board · stand · mine

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. march — music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. charge — in control
  12. march — the month
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. charge — a price
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. march — the month
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stand — to bear
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lean — thin

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