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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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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: spring · content · board · mark · stand · row · lie · ground

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. row — to paddle
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mark — a grade
  10. content — the amount
  11. ground — the earth
  12. spring — of water
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ground — a position
  16. row — a line
  17. spring — the season
  18. content — happy
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spring — a coil
  24. content — videos and posts

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