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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — in sport
  9. cell — in biology
  10. fall — the season
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cell — a phone
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. board — a flat piece

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