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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — a price
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — to get on
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. charge — in control
  12. key — for a lock
  13. charge — electricity
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fall — to drop
  16. branch — a division
  17. key — in music
  18. board — a committee
  19. saw — the tool
  20. content — happy
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. branch — of a tree

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