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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. roll — a list
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pop — to visit
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. spell — letters
  13. pop — soda
  14. race — a contest
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. hand — in cards
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pop — music
  19. race — humankind
  20. board — a committee
  21. spell — magic
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hand — help

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