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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. spell — letters
  4. object — an aim
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fine — high quality
  7. present — the time now
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stand — to bear
  11. present — a gift
  12. spell — a short time
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. object — to protest
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. object — a thing
  21. present — there
  22. board — to get on
  23. spell — magic
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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