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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mate — to breed
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fall — to drop
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tube — the underground
  16. toast — bread
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lean — thin

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