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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — to get on
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mug — a cup
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. charge — a price
  9. bat — the animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. snap — to click
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. mug — a face
  19. board — a committee
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. charge — in control

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