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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — to get on
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pit — in a race
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cold — an illness
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. capital — money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. board — a committee
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. capital — a city
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. pit — a hole
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mark — a grade

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