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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. row — to paddle
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. row — a line
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. board — a committee
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. hand — help
  19. snap — to click
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. bank — for money
  24. racket — for tennis

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