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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bank — for money
  11. rash — a series
  12. season — of the year
  13. mine — for digging
  14. season — in sport
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. present — a gift
  17. bank — of a river
  18. board — to get on
  19. present — the time now
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. board — a committee
  22. bank — for money
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. present — there

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