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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mate — a partner
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — a committee
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rest — a break
  15. board — to get on
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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