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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a music group
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. tube — a container
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. object — a thing
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. board — to get on
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. band — a ring
  24. wave — of the sea

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