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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: jam · fall · bowl · wave · saw · rest · lie · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rest — what's left
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. board — a committee
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rest — a break
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fall — the season
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wave — of the sea

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