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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. staff — employees
  4. bat — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. staff — a stick
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fine — all right
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. fine — high quality
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fine — a penalty

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