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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. board — to get on
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fall — to drop
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rash — a series
  13. board — a committee
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — a skill
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fall — the season
  24. trunk — of a tree

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