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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. board — to get on
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. club — for dancing
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chair — a leader
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bear — the animal

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