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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. deal — to handle
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pass — a permit
  8. net — for catching
  9. march — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. net — after costs
  13. march — the month
  14. board — to get on
  15. net — in sport
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fine — all right
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wave — with your hand

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