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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. march — the month
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. march — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. march — the month
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bark — to shout
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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