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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. 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. fall — to drop
  2. board — a committee
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fall — the season
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bear — the animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. pit — in a race
  16. charge — a price
  17. wind — moving air
  18. 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