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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bass — low music
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. last — to go on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. board — to get on
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. last — final
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. last — finally
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bass — the instrument

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