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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. charge — a price
  3. bass — low music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. board — a committee
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. charge — in control
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — the fish
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. vault — a safe
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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