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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. land — to come down
  9. ground — a position
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. land — ground
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — to get on
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. land — a country
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — a committee
  24. row — a line

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