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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pit — a hole
  3. board — a committee
  4. bass — low music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — the season
  21. charge — a price
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wind — moving air

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