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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · charge · bat · stand · board · cabinet · object · wind

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. object — a thing
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stand — to bear
  7. charge — electricity
  8. object — to protest
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. charge — in control
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — a price
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fall — the season
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. board — to get on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a committee
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bat — the animal

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