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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. snap — to click
  4. fall — to drop
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. scale — in music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — size or range
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fall — the season
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — to get on
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — a committee
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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