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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bat — the animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mug — to rob
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chip — to eat
  9. board — a committee
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. board — to get on
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mug — a face
  24. chip — for betting

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