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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. firm — steady
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rule — government
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. board — a committee
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fall — to drop
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fall — to drop
  13. last — to go on
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. last — finally
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. chair — a leader
  20. last — final
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fall — the season

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