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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. land — ground
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. last — to go on
  8. land — a country
  9. cue — a signal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cue — a hint
  13. game — a match
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bear — the animal
  16. last — final
  17. board — to get on
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. land — to come down
  22. last — finally
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — a committee

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