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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. board — to get on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rash — a series
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lean — thin
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. board — a committee
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. board — a flat piece

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