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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. firm — a company
  3. fall — the season
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fall — to drop
  10. board — a committee
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. firm — steady
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. last — finally
  18. suit — to fit
  19. last — to go on
  20. firm — decided
  21. board — to get on
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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