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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. toast — bread
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cap — of ice
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. deal — to handle
  15. kid — child
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cap — a lid
  18. kid — to tease
  19. fall — the season
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fall — to drop
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fall — to drop

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