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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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rash — a series
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. land — ground
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. board — a committee
  12. land — to come down
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tube — a container
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tube — the underground
  20. land — a country
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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