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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — a break
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. board — to get on
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — a committee
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — a division
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. patient — a sick person
  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