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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — to get on
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fall — the season
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — a practice
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. can — a tin

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