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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wound — an injury
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bass — low music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. dip — to sink
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. board — a committee
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. charge — in control

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