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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. kid — child
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. march — the month
  6. board — to get on
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — music
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. board — a committee
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. saw — the tool

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