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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: lie · row · stand · wake · rest · board · toast · saw

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wake — a trail
  9. row — to paddle
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — a committee
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. toast — bread
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. board — to get on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rest — a break
  24. toast — the most admired

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