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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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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: wave · board · pit · march · plane · kid · wake · kick

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. march — music
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. board — a committee
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kick — in football
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pit — in a race
  14. board — to get on
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. march — the month
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wake — a trail
  22. kid — child
  23. kick — with a leg
  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