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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — a committee
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tube — the underground
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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