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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. chest — a box
  11. wake — a trail
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. board — to get on
  15. chest — of your body
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. present — there
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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