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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mate — a partner
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rest — a break
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. board — to get on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rest — what's left
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stand — for spectators

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