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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rash — hasty
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rash — a series
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — to drop
  14. swing — to play on
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. swing — in golf
  17. board — to get on
  18. fall — the season
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mark — a trace
  21. swing — music
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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