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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: bulb · stand · perch · board · lie · lean · hand · mouse

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bulb — for light
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hand — help
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — thin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stand — to bear
  13. board — a committee
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bulb — of a plant

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