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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fall — the season
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. board — to get on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hand — help
  20. cue — a hint
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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