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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. tube — a container
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. snap — to click
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. tube — the underground
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. board — a committee
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. board — to get on
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mouse — the animal

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