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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: chest · file · board · deal · pit · lie · stem · perch

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. file — a line of people
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. perch — the fish
  11. file — a document
  12. chest — a box
  13. lie — to recline
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pit — a hole
  16. file — a tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chest — of your body
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stem — to come from
  24. perch — for a bird

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