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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. board — a committee
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. board — to get on
  6. row — to paddle
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. last — final
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stand — to bear
  13. last — finally
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. prune — to trim
  17. row — a line
  18. last — to go on
  19. branch — a division
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — for spectators

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