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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rush — hurry
  3. board — to get on
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. net — for catching
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. board — a committee
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. kick — in football
  20. net — after costs
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. net — in sport

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