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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. charge — a price
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rest — a break
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — electricity
  11. board — to get on
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. present — a gift
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. present — the time now
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. charge — in control
  22. present — there
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. jam — in traffic

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