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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. board — a committee
  5. swing — to play on
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — a break
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ball — a great time
  15. swing — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — to bear
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. board — to get on
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stand — on your feet

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