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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lean — to bend
  5. board — to get on
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bear — the animal
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — music
  16. lean — thin
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. file — a tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. file — a document

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