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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · wave · stick · hide · dip · pitcher · board · charge

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cap — a lid
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. board — a committee
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. charge — a price
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. charge — in control
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cap — a hat
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cap — of ice
  24. board — a flat piece

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