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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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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: current · tube · pound · lean · fall · cabinet · land · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tube — the underground
  4. current — electric
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. land — ground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. current — of water
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fall — the season
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. current — happening now
  17. board — to get on
  18. tube — a container
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fall — to drop
  21. land — to come down
  22. lean — thin
  23. land — a country
  24. pound — to hit hard

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