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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. board — a committee
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — in music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. present — there
  14. file — a tool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. present — a gift
  17. rest — what's left
  18. scale — size or range
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rest — a break
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. present — the time now
  24. scale — for weighing

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