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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. board — to get on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. last — to go on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. last — final
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — all right
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fine — high quality
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. board — a committee
  20. last — finally
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rest — a break

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