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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · last · ground · board · bay · mouse · wave · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ground — crushed
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. last — final
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. board — a committee
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ground — a position
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — finally
  22. ground — the earth
  23. last — to go on
  24. board — to get on

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