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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. snap — to click
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. board — a committee
  11. mug — a face
  12. last — finally
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. board — to get on
  15. fine — all right
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spring — of water
  18. last — final
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. last — to go on
  24. pass — to spend time

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