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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 124 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. last — finally
  4. fall — the season
  5. board — a committee
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rule — a law
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. last — final
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. last — to go on
  24. board — to get on

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