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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — a match
  4. squash — the sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — to sink
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. squash — to crush
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. board — to get on
  17. wake — a trail
  18. board — a committee
  19. snap — to click
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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