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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. spell — letters
  3. drill — army training
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. drill — a practice
  6. toast — bread
  7. prune — to trim
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. spell — a short time
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spell — magic
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. board — to get on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — a committee

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