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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fall — to drop
  7. row — to paddle
  8. board — a committee
  9. fall — the season
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. board — to get on
  15. pound — a weight
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. row — a line
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pound — for dogs
  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