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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. board — a committee
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spell — letters
  11. tube — a container
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bear — the animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. board — to get on
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. snap — to click
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. tube — the underground

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