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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. land — a country
  4. can — to be able to
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — after costs
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chip — for betting
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. net — for catching
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chip — to eat
  18. board — a committee
  19. net — in sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. straw — a straw man

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