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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bass — low music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. snap — to click
  6. squash — to crush
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. squash — the sport
  15. board — to get on
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mug — a cup
  22. board — a committee
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mug — a face

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