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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. board — to get on
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. track — a path
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. board — a committee
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wake — a trail
  14. squash — the sport
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bat — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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