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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. land — to come down
  9. cue — a signal
  10. land — ground
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — part of the head
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fine — all right
  18. face — to confront
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. board — to get on

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