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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pop — soda
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. board — to get on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. game — wild animals
  8. drill — army training
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pop — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pop — to visit
  15. board — a committee
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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