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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. board — a committee
  3. present — the time now
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. board — to get on
  7. present — there
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mark — a trace
  14. fine — all right
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mark — a grade
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. present — a gift
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. straw — dry grass

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