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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spell — letters
  4. fall — the season
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spell — a short time
  8. file — a document
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spell — magic
  15. board — to get on
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. file — a line of people
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stock — goods
  23. file — a tool
  24. stock — shares

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