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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. spell — magic
  7. can — to be able to
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. can — a tin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. snap — to click
  12. spell — letters
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. prune — to trim
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — a tin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spell — a short time
  24. arm — a part of something

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