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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bass — low music
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rest — a break
  15. fall — the season
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. board — to get on
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bass — the fish
  22. board — a committee
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fall — to drop

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