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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. field — for sport
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fall — to drop
  10. field — a subject
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. snap — to click
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fork — in a road
  17. field — farmland
  18. fall — the season
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. board — a committee
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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