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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: board · pitch · march · wave · toast · lean · hide · suit

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. march — music
  9. toast — bread
  10. lean — to bend
  11. suit — to fit
  12. board — to get on
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. march — the month
  16. lean — thin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. board — a committee
  21. pitch — completely
  22. suit — clothes
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. suit — in cards

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