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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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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fall — to drop
  5. current — electric
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. board — a committee
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. board — to get on
  12. march — the month
  13. fine — all right
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — of water
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. march — the month
  21. fall — the season
  22. current — happening now
  23. march — music
  24. board — a flat piece

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