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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. board — to get on
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — a break
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. board — a committee
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cell — in biology
  21. game — wild animals
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chair — a leader

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