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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cold — an illness
  3. staff — employees
  4. suit — to fit
  5. board — a committee
  6. staff — employees
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. board — to get on
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — music
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fall — the season

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