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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 124 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a committee
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chest — a box
  17. pop — soda
  18. snap — to click
  19. pop — music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — to get on
  23. pitch — completely
  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