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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 120 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: arm · cue · ruler · kid · lie · land · board · lean

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cue — a signal
  6. land — ground
  7. lie — to recline
  8. board — to get on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cue — for pool
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kid — child
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kid — to tease
  24. lean — to bend

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