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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: fall · board · present · chest · snap · lean · firm · face

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chest — a box
  4. lean — to bend
  5. board — a committee
  6. present — the time now
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. firm — a company
  9. board — to get on
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. snap — to click
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chest — of your body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fall — the season
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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