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

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. sharp — clever
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cap — a lid
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. cap — a hat
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. board — to get on
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cap — of ice
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — a committee
  17. fall — to drop
  18. saw — the tool

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