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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fall — to drop
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. suit — in cards
  6. court — for sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — to come from
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. suit — to fit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. court — of law
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. board — to get on
  20. court — of a king
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. board — a committee
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stem — a stem cell

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