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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 116 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rock — music
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. snap — to click
  14. stem — to come from
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. dip — to sink
  17. board — a committee
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bank — of a river

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