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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cold — not warm
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bank — of a river
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — crushed
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. board — a committee
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — to bend
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — help
  21. ground — a position
  22. lean — thin
  23. board — a flat piece
  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