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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. board — a committee
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. lean — thin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. net — for catching
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rush — hurry
  13. net — after costs
  14. lean — to bend
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — completely
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. board — to get on
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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