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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 120 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: firm · board · foot · mark · band · fine · mine · lean

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. firm — steady
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. lean — thin
  15. firm — a company
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. firm — decided
  19. band — a ring
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. band — a music group
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lean — to rest against

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