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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — the season
  3. land — to come down
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. board — a committee
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — hurry
  9. land — ground
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. land — a country
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — to get on
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rush — to hurry

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