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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. clip — for paper
  8. race — humankind
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. season — of the year
  12. hand — help
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. clip — to cut
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. clip — a video
  18. file — a tool
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mate — a partner
  24. race — a contest

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