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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: board · roll · lean · swing · jam · lie · tube · prune

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. roll — a cake
  4. swing — to play on
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lie — to recline
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. swing — in golf
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. roll — a list
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tube — a container
  19. swing — music
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. board — to get on

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