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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kid — child
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. board — a committee
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. board — to get on
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. last — finally
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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