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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. object — a thing
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ball — a great time
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. spell — letters
  12. band — a music group
  13. shower — rain
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. board — to get on
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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