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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. board — a committee
  3. bass — the fish
  4. swing — to play on
  5. board — to get on
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. snap — to click
  9. scale — size or range
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mug — a face
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. scale — in music
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mug — a cup
  24. swing — in golf

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