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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. firm — steady
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. track — a path
  8. board — to get on
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cold — not warm
  13. board — a committee
  14. rash — a series
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. firm — decided
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — a song
  22. firm — a company
  23. lean — thin
  24. cold — an illness

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