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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. board — a committee
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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