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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. march — music
  3. rash — a series
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. march — the month
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. board — to get on
  13. can — a tin
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bat — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. board — a flat piece

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