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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spell — a short time
  9. board — a committee
  10. kick — in football
  11. spell — magic
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spell — letters
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. board — to get on
  18. snap — to click

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