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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bound — certain
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rash — a series
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fall — to drop
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — a grade
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — the season
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — a supporter

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