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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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468
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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stem — to come from
  4. board — to get on
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. board — a committee
  20. rest — a break
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cold — an illness

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