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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fine — all right
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — for digging
  6. current — happening now
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fall — the season
  11. board — to get on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. current — of water
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — electric
  21. fall — to drop
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. board — a committee
  24. mine — belonging to me

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