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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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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 · snap · board · jam · drill · toast · stand · chair

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. board — a committee
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lean — thin
  11. board — to get on
  12. stand — to bear
  13. drill — the tool
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. drill — army training
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. toast — bread
  21. lean — to bend
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. snap — to click

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