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

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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. fall — the season
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. race — a contest
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mug — a cup
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — to get on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. mug — a face
  19. bank — for money
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fork — in a road
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. race — humankind

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