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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. charge — in control
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. charge — electricity
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. snap — to click
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. last — finally
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. board — a committee
  17. root — of a plant
  18. last — final
  19. root — of a word
  20. charge — a price
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. last — to go on
  23. root — the cause
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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