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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. kid — child
  4. board — a committee
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. board — to get on
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. coach — a trainer

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