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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. row — to paddle
  3. firm — steady
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. object — a thing
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — a committee
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. net — for catching
  18. row — a line
  19. object — to protest
  20. net — in sport
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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