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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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Word bank
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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. season — of the year
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. board — a committee
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. season — in sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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