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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. board — a committee
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. board — to get on
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. clip — for paper
  11. snap — to click
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bore — to tire
  14. clip — a video
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bore — to drill
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. scale — size or range
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. scale — in music

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