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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fall — to drop
  3. object — to protest
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fall — the season
  6. board — a committee
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. object — a thing
  11. board — to get on
  12. rash — a series
  13. bank — for money
  14. ground — crushed
  15. can — a tin
  16. object — an aim
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ground — a position
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bank — of a river

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