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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: pop · cold · rush · game · board · wave · hand · key

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. game — a match
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pop — music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hand — help
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. key — in music

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