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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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. wave — of the sea
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. spring — a coil
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fine — high quality
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. face — to point toward
  12. spring — of water
  13. face — to confront
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spring — the season
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. board — to get on
  23. fine — all right
  24. calf — of the leg

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