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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wind — moving air
  6. net — after costs
  7. firm — steady
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. net — in sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. firm — a company
  13. board — a committee
  14. net — for catching
  15. firm — decided
  16. band — a music group
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. band — a ring
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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