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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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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: mate · club · kick · object · board · rash · wave · dip

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. object — to protest
  7. kick — in football
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rash — a series
  10. club — a group
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. club — for golf
  13. mate — a friend
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mate — a partner
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. rash — hasty
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mate — to breed
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. rash — on the skin

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