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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. snap — to click
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. squash — to crush
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pass — a permit
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. perch — the fish
  17. board — a committee
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bulb — for light
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. board — to get on

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