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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. suit — to fit
  3. track — a song
  4. board — to get on
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spell — magic
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. track — a path
  16. spell — letters
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. roll — a list
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. foot — a measure
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. snap — to click

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