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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. suit — clothes
  6. date — the fruit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. board — to get on
  9. degree — an amount
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. club — for dancing
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. race — the arms race
  15. suit — to fit
  16. degree — from a university
  17. race — a contest
  18. fall — to drop
  19. race — humankind
  20. board — a committee
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. degree — temperature
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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