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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. march — the month
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. board — to get on
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — a committee
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mark — a trace
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. shower — rain

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