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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. land — to come down
  7. march — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — clothes
  14. scale — size or range
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. march — the month
  17. suit — to fit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. scale — in music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — the month
  24. perch — the fish

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