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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fall — the season
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fall — to drop
  6. band — a ring
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. craft — a skill
  16. snap — to click
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. craft — boats
  19. bore — to drill
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. board — a committee
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. band — a music group

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