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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mate — a friend
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. march — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. march — the month
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mate — a partner
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. board — to get on
  24. mate — to breed

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