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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. current — electric
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. march — music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mug — a face
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. shower — rain
  11. march — the month
  12. shower — to wash
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. current — happening now
  17. march — the month
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. game — a match
  22. current — of water
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mug — a cup

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