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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rest — what's left
  6. object — a thing
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rest — a break
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rest — what's left
  15. object — an aim
  16. board — a committee
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. object — to protest
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. face — to confront
  22. stem — to come from
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. face — part of the head

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