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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — the fish
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bass — low music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. board — a committee
  19. season — of the year
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mark — a grade
  22. board — to get on
  23. season — in sport
  24. mark — a trace

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