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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wake — a trail
  3. root — of a plant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lean — to bend
  8. net — in sport
  9. present — there
  10. root — the cause
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — to get on
  14. root — of a word
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. net — after costs
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. fall — the season
  20. board — a committee
  21. lean — thin
  22. present — a gift
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — the time now

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