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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fine — all right
  3. firm — decided
  4. fall — the season
  5. fine — high quality
  6. season — in sport
  7. board — to get on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. board — a committee
  12. mug — a cup
  13. season — of the year
  14. mug — a face
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. craft — boats
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cold — not warm

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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