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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. board — to get on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mate — to breed
  24. board — a committee

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