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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 · lean · cell · bay · fall · nail · temple · stem

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. lean — thin
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fall — the season

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