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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fall — the season
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mark — a trace
  7. board — a committee
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lean — thin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. kid — child
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. board — to get on
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. kid — to tease
  24. lean — to bend

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