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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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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. suit — clothes
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cold — not warm
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cold — an illness
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lie — to recline
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — a committee
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cap — a hat
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — of ice

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