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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 116 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: board · stem · bay · leaves · row · kick · land · firm

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. land — ground
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. firm — a company
  5. land — to come down
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. firm — decided
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. board — a committee
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. firm — steady
  18. row — to paddle
  19. land — a country
  20. kick — in football
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bay — a horse colour

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