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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. board — a committee
  3. present — there
  4. wake — a trail
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fall — to drop
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. present — the time now
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fall — the season
  12. board — to get on
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rush — hurry
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rush — a thrill

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