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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — a stone
  5. land — ground
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. court — for sport
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. court — of a king
  12. last — final
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. last — to go on
  16. rock — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. land — a country
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a committee
  22. fall — the season
  23. last — finally
  24. land — to come down

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