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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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 flat piece
  2. cap — a lid
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cap — of ice
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. board — a committee
  15. perch — the fish
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  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