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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. board — a committee
  6. court — of law
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — the sport
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. court — of a king
  15. fine — high quality
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. court — for sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fall — to drop
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — all right

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