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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. capital — money
  3. fall — to drop
  4. board — a committee
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. present — a gift
  8. net — for catching
  9. rest — a break
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — to get on
  13. net — in sport
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. capital — a city
  18. present — the time now
  19. net — after costs
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. present — there
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — what's left

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