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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — certain
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. staff — employees
  16. board — a committee
  17. can — a tin
  18. board — to get on
  19. staff — employees
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chair — a leader

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