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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. board — a committee
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. kid — child
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. object — a thing
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. object — to protest
  15. kid — to tease
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. object — an aim
  18. cap — of ice
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. board — to get on

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