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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ball — a great time
  3. kick — in football
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ground — the earth
  6. snap — to click
  7. bound — certain
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. board — to get on
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bound — obliged
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ball — a dance
  20. board — a committee
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. kick — with a leg

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