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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 120 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. board — to get on
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mug — a cup
  7. snap — to click
  8. club — for golf
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fall — to drop
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fall — to drop
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. board — a committee
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fall — the season
  24. mug — a face

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