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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ground — the earth
  8. board — to get on
  9. last — final
  10. ground — a position
  11. snap — to click
  12. ground — crushed
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. last — finally
  15. roll — a list
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. board — a committee
  20. last — to go on
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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