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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. net — after costs
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. game — a match
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. net — for catching
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. board — a committee
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — to get on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — in sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wave — with your hand

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