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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 116 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — a thing
  8. board — a committee
  9. fall — to drop
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. snap — to click
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — an aim
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — to protest
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. game — a kind of play

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