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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bound — certain
  4. board — a committee
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. track — a path
  8. bound — tied together
  9. track — a song
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fall — the season
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pit — in a race
  21. track — to keep track
  22. board — to get on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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