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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. fall — the season
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. march — music
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. present — the time now
  10. stand — to bear
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. present — a gift
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bat — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. present — there
  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