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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. track — a song
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. board — a committee
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. board — to get on
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cold — an illness
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. calf — a young animal

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