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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. clip — for paper
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. mug — a cup
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. court — for sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. clip — a video
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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