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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hand — help
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. charge — a price
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. charge — in control
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chest — a box
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fall — the season
  24. chest — of your body

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