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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bass — the fish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fall — to drop
  6. board — a committee
  7. lean — to bend
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bore — to tire
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lean — thin
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bore — to drill
  24. shower — rain

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