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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. march — music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. snap — to click
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. board — to get on
  10. can — to be able to
  11. row — a line
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rush — hurry
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. march — the month
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. march — the month

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