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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kid — to tease
  5. staff — employees
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fall — to drop
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. kid — child
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chip — to eat
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. board — a committee
  23. chip — for betting
  24. board — to get on

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