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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: pit · wind · ruler · shower · lie · lean · toast · board

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lean — thin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. board — to get on
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. shower — to wash
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pit — a hole
  13. toast — bread
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pit — in a race
  18. shower — rain
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. board — a committee
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ruler — for measuring

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