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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a tool
  10. board — a committee
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spell — magic
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spell — letters
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ground — a position
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. file — a document
  22. ground — the earth
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wave — with your hand

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