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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: kid · lie · board · field · bulb · pound · leaves · rash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. field — a subject
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — for sport
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. kid — child
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. field — farmland
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bulb — for light
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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