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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: board · rock · stand · net · rest · lean · staff · bay

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. staff — employees
  3. net — for catching
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rest — a break
  10. net — after costs
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. staff — employees
  14. board — to get on
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. net — in sport
  21. rock — music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rest — what's left

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