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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: lie · kick · ground · stand · board · bowl · cabinet · date

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. board — a committee
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lie — to recline
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kick — in football
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bowl — to 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