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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. row — a line
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fall — to drop
  5. plane — a tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. object — to protest
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. drill — the tool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. board — a committee
  17. object — a thing
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fall — to drop
  20. drill — army training
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. object — an aim
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mine — an explosive

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