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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. board — to get on
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lean — thin
  6. fall — the season
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. march — music
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. board — a committee
  24. march — the month

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