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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: lie · board · stand · deal · net · ruler · fall · press

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — a committee
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lie — to recline
  16. deal — to handle
  17. net — in sport
  18. fall — the season
  19. net — for catching
  20. board — to get on
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. net — after costs

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