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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fall — the season
  3. drill — the tool
  4. snap — to click
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ball — a dance
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. drill — army training
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ball — a great time

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