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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. land — ground
  4. board — to get on
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mark — a trace
  7. board — a committee
  8. mark — a grade
  9. game — wild animals
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — a match
  12. land — to come down
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. land — a country
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. temple — side of the head

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