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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — in sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. board — to get on
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — after costs
  12. rest — a break
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spring — a coil
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spring — the season
  18. rest — what's left
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chest — a box
  21. spring — of water
  22. net — for catching
  23. rest — what's left
  24. board — a committee

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