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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. board — a committee
  3. charge — a price
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rash — a series
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. board — to get on
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. charge — in control
  23. hand — help
  24. fall — to drop

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