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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. board — a committee
  3. fall — to drop
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. net — in sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — for catching
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. net — after costs
  19. fall — the season
  20. mark — a trace
  21. board — to get on
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — to pay attention

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