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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. kid — child
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wind — moving air
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rest — a break
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. board — to get on
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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