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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. chip — to eat
  4. board — a committee
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. band — a music group
  8. chip — for betting
  9. squash — the sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. band — a ring
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mine — for digging

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