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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: roll · wound · cold · object · straw · wave · board · jam

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. board — to get on
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. object — an aim
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cold — an illness
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cold — not warm
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. object — a thing
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. roll — a list
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — to protest
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. board — a committee
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. roll — a cake

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