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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — a friend
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — a partner
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mate — to breed
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fall — the season

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