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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. net — after costs
  7. board — to get on
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. present — the time now
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. board — a committee
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. present — a gift
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. net — in sport
  23. present — there
  24. rock — music

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