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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — a committee
  3. tear — to rip
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. degree — an amount
  20. tear — from crying
  21. firm — a company
  22. chair — a leader
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wave — of the sea

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