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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. object — a thing
  3. board — to get on
  4. object — to protest
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fall — the season
  8. object — an aim
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. board — a committee
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. shower — rain
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bank — for money
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wake — a trail
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. shower — to wash
  24. board — a flat piece

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