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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mate — to breed
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. snap — to click
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — a flat piece

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