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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. net — for catching
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. spring — a coil
  7. net — after costs
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bass — low music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. spring — of water
  16. spell — magic
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. net — in sport
  20. rash — hasty
  21. board — a committee
  22. spell — letters
  23. bass — the fish
  24. spring — the season

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