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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. land — to come down
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. land — a country
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. board — a committee
  11. land — ground
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — a trail
  15. board — to get on
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stand — for spectators

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