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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 · swing · land · saw · pass · toast · lean · charge

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. swing — to play on
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. land — ground
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lean — thin
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — a price
  19. saw — the tool
  20. land — to come down
  21. swing — music
  22. toast — bread
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pass — a permit

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