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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · land · bulb · race · plane · row · board · lie

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — a committee
  9. race — a contest
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. row — a line
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — to get on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. race — humankind
  22. row — to paddle
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bulb — of a plant

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