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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: lean · field · fall · suit · deal · lie · board · craft

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. lie — to recline
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. craft — boats
  6. board — to get on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. field — for sport
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. field — a subject
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. field — farmland
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fall — the season
  24. lean — to bend

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