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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 124 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — a committee
  4. snap — to click
  5. swing — music
  6. file — a tool
  7. cell — a phone
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cell — in biology
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rest — a break
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rest — what's left

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