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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fall — the season
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. fall — to drop
  15. band — a ring
  16. drill — army training
  17. staff — employees
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. band — a music group
  22. staff — employees
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fan — to cool the air

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